Family Secrets
by Violet Rose of Darkness
Summary: Things go a little differently in the Dollhouse when Spencer finds A's vault for the first time. Two-shot
1. Chapter 1

**God, I was in such a rush yesterday that I didn't even bother to put my beginning and ending notes. For some reason, that really bothers me. Anyway, for those of you who haven't read this yet, it's just an idea that I wanted to play around with. I don't know why, but I just didn't like the fact that Charlotte could care about Ali and Alex, but not Spencer.**

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"This is you, isn't it, Charles?"

I didn't get a reply. I didn't expect to. A, Charles; the person who had been tormenting us for the majority of senior year was standing behind me. Hell, I could practically feel his breath on my neck. I should have been terrified at that moment, but I wasn't. I stopped getting scared - truly afraid - for my own life sometime after Mona knocked me out at the Lost Woods. Besides, Charles wouldn't kill me. I was a doll to him, a precious toy. We all were. If he wanted us dead, he would have done so long ago.

I stared at the screen, watching Mrs. DiLaurentis, the two little boys - one of which was Jason and the other Charles - and the baby who I was sure was Ali. How was it possible that Ali and Jason could have a brother without any of us knowing? Did they even know? How many more secrets did Jessica DiLaurentis take to her grave?

My heart was pounding in my chest as I pondered turning around. I could turn and rip the hoodie of his head and uncover this mystery once and for all, or I could leave it and never know who's under it. Unfortunately, I didn't get to make that choice.

There was a pressure on my neck and before I know it, the world began to get hazy. My head started to spin and my vision was blurring as I collapsed to the floor. I was vaguely aware of light, beautiful singing as I lost consciousness. The voice was ringing a very faint bell in the back of my head, but I couldn't place it.

 _Lord help the mister, who comes between me and my sister._

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"I told you not to come here yet!"

"I just wanted to meet her! Don't I have that right?"

"You're going to ruin everything! If she sees you-!"

"You just want to keep her to yourself!"

This was what I woke up to. The two voices arguing were that of females; one very familiar and the other with an English accent. My right wrist was chained to the post of the bed I was lying on and my head was throbbing. "Hello?" I called, sitting up as much as I could. "Charles?"

The arguing stopped as someone came into the room. It was a woman with a head full of long blond hair and sharp, startlingly blue eyes. I knew who it was almost instantly.

My eyes nearly popped out of my skull as a gasp escaped my lips. " _CeCe_?"

CeCe Drake smiled back at me. It was unlike her usual charming grin; this was more of a cynical smirk. "I see you're up, Spence," she remarked, approaching me. My chained wrist only let me back away so far.

I felt my head reel as I tried to figure out why the hell CeCe Drake was in the Dollhouse. Wait... For the first time, I take a look at my surroundings. This wasn't my room - real or fake. It was something of a wooden cabin, similar to the one my friends - and Mona - almost died in. I didn't even think I was in the Dollhouse anymore.

Somehow, I wasn't as relieved as I should have been.

I found it hard to speak coherent sentences. "CeCe, why are you... where are... _what's going on_?"

She laughs delicately, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. "Oh, Spence," she tuts. "Use that pretty little head of yours. You're the smart one, remember?"

I squinted at her before I jerked as realization hit me like Wilden did as the Queen of Hearts that night on the train. "You... _You're_ A?" My heart rate picks up and I suddenly found it getting harder to breathe. " _You're_ Charles DiLaurentis?"

"Very good," praised CeCe condescendingly.

It felt as if my world was crashing around me. "B-But you... How could... _What_?" I felt exceedingly less smart than everyone made me out to be in that moment.

"Let me tell you a story," CeCe said, her voice soft. "Once, there was a little boy names Charles DiLaurentis. He loved his mommy and daddy and his brother and sister." Her eyes suddenly hardened, taking my by surprise. "But there was one problem. His daddy didn't like the fact that he liked to wear his mommy's dresses and play with dolls, even though his mommy thought it was cute. One day, Charles made a mistake. Do you know what that mistake was, Spencer?"

I didn't trust myself to speak, so I simply shook my head.

"Charles' mommy was outside with his brother, Jason," she continued. "Charles was inside with his sister, Ali. Ali - who was only a baby at the time - was crying. Now, what usually calmed him down was a bath. So he thought that his sister would feel better after a bath too. The water was scalding when he put her in. Charles didn't mean to, but he almost drowned her.

"His daddy came in and everything went to hell. Before Charles knew it, he was stuck in Radley Sanitarium; away from his family and away from his precious sister. Still, his mommy came to visit him and whenever she about his sister an outfit, he would get the same one. He befriended a girl named Bethany Young and the two stuck together. That is, until Bethany did something really bad. Something that affected someone very close to you. Do you know who that was?"

I swallowed, tying to find my voice. "W-Who?" I choked out.

"Your little boyfriend, Toby Cavanaugh, dearest Spencer," revealed CeCe and my breath hitched in my throat. "See, they were on the roof when Marion Cavanaugh came up. Charles, being the boy in girl's clothes, hid and let Bethany deal with it." She shook her head. "Well, she 'dealt with it,' alright. By pushing Mrs. Cavanaugh off the roof. Then, she turned around and blamed poor Charles for it. He, of course, got blamed and his mommy paid of Detective Wilden to rule it as a suicide. She also took Bethany places to keep her quiet about the whole thing."

I felt a pang in my heart for Toby, but kept my face steely. "What happened next?" I managed.

She smiled at me. "Always hungry for answers. I like that." She patted my head and I urged myself not to swat her away. "Now, where was I? Oh, right! By sixteen years old, Charles DiLaurentis was dead."

"What?"

CeCe laughed at my confusion. "Charles DiLaurentis was dead," she repeated. "but _Charlotte_ DiLaurentis was ready to take on the world."

"Oh," I realized. She must have been transgender. That explained why she was a woman when Charles had been a boy.

"Anyway, Charlotte was still stuck in Radley. But because she worked hard academically, the board gave her permission to attend classes at UPenn." She sighed dramatically. "Alas, all her classes were terribly boring. So, one day she called in a bomb threat so she could have the day off. Risky, but totally worth it because she found herself at Rosewood High where the senior class was taking their yearbook pictures." She smiled. "That's where Charlotte saw her brother for the first time in years."

"You mean Jason?"

CeCe rolled her eyes. "How many brothers do I have, Spencer?"

I glared at her, not the least bit afraid for some reason. "Then stop talking in the third person, it's making my head hurt more than it already does. Besides, for all I know, you have twelve of them."

She smirked. "Touché. Well, Jason and I started dating."

My eyes went wide in disgust as I remembered what CeCe had told me the first day I met her. "You dated your own brother? Ew." I raised an eyebrow. "Did you two...?"

"Disgusting, Spencer. That's my brother. I was just using us dating as an excuse to get close to my family. Mom was mad, but she couldn't say anything with all of them there. Anyway, I went to Cape May with them and all that." CeCe smiled fondly at the memory. "We had a hell of a time there too." She scowled. "But when we came back, everything went to shit."

"September first," I said. "The day Ali disappeared. You-"

"I didn't mean to!" insisted CeCe quickly. "Spencer, please believe me. I, it was that bitch, Bethany!" Huh, it almost sounded like the cared what I thought of her. "She found out my mom was having an affair with her dad and she lost it. She stole my clothes, she knew I had out privilages, and she snuck out of Radley." Her fist clenched at her side. "She was gonna hurt my mom."

I tilted my head to the side, trying to wrap my head around this. "You meant to hit Bethany, but you hit Ali instead?" Of course. It all made sense now. We knew that Mrs. DiLaurentis had seen it. Why would you cover up the murder of your child unless it was your other child that did it?

She nodded, tears coming to her eyes. "She wouldn't look at me," she whispered brokenly. "She wouldn't even look at me when she buried her." She wiped her eyes. "Anyway, she paid off Wilden to cover it up and I got hauled back to Radley."

"Why are you telling just me this?" I suddenly asked. "Why not all the girls or even just Ali?"

"I'll get to that, Spencer," CeCe told me. "Two years later, I met Mona. And she was awesome. I approached her in Radley and made her think I was Ali." Her gaze hardened again and I fidgeted. "She told me that the four of you were glad that Ali was dead."

"That's not true!" I interrupted. "I don't know what Mona told you, but we were heartbroken. I-I couldn't sleep for an entire month. She's my best friend."

She softened slightly. "That's when I became A. Partly because of what Mona told me and partly because I started seeing a blond following you four. I thought that if Ali thought you were in danger, she'd show herself."

Rage suddenly filled me. "So you stalked, harassed, tormented, and kidnapped us for a year because you thought that we were glad that your sister - a girl who verbally abused and degraded us on a daily bases - was dead?" I demanded.

CeCe pouted. "Well, when you say it like that, it makes me sound like a bad person."

Had she really just said that to me? "You-!"

"Oh, enough about you already, Charlotte!" complained the English voice from earlier as she stepped into the room. "Tell her about me already!" This was a girl my age with long brown hair and matching eyes.

 _Me,_ I realized with a start as I watched the woman, not even daring to blink. The girl looked exactly like me. From my height, to my face and body shape. Everything about her screamed "Spencer Jill Hastings." The only thing that set us apart was her accent.

CeCe sighed in exasperation. "I was getting to you, Alexandra. Now, look what you did to her." I guessed in the depths of my mind that she was referring to me. "I haven't even mentioned Mary Drake yet and you broke her."

The girl - Alexandra - shrugged. "Well, it's not everyday that you find out you have a twin." She turned to me, smiling. There was something about seeing my own smile on a face that wasn't mine that really put me off. "Is it Spencer?" I stared at her wordlessly before I suddenly felt lightheaded as I promptly fell back onto the bed, passing out once more.

"Well, that could have gone a lot better," is the last thing I hear before I completely lost consciousness.

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 **So, that was the first part of my little fic. I hope you liked it. Please review and I'll see you next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**So... this is long overdue. How are you all? Um, here's the second and final chapter of "Family Secrets." Please enjoy.**

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As soon as Spencer opened her eyes, recent memories were flooding into her mind. CeCe's - or Charlotte's - tragic backstory, this Alexandra who was apparently her twin sister; everything was rushing her all at once. She sat up quickly, closing her eyes again. She hoped that if she willed it enough, everything she had learned would cease to be true. Maybe when she opened her eyes once more, she'd be in a world where A never existed.

"You should have waited, Alex."

Scratch that. She'd know that voice anywhere. CeCe's voice was unique. It commanded attention and everyone she met gave it without resisting. It was like Ali's in a way, but much stronger. Much more condescending and manipulative, yet sprinkled with charm and covered by a dazzling smile; a mere mask.

"Well, you were taking too long."

That second voice was Alex's for sure. She recognized her own voice, even with the accent. Unlike CeCe's, Alexandra's voice demanded attention. She seemed like someone who would do anything to get what she wanted, by whatever means necessary. She was blunt and outspoken, never hiding how she felt.

Spencer sighed and opened her eyes once more, trying to get them to focus. How long had she been out? She looked to the side to see both CeCe and Alex staring at her. She blinked, not knowing what to say to the two. What were you supposed to say to two forgotten women, one of which being your twin sister? "Can one of you please explain what's going on?" she demanded finally.

CeCe sighed. "I guess now is a good as time as any," she accepted, sending a glare in her companion's direction. The blond sat down on the bed next to Spencer and asked gently, "Spencer, have you ever felt like an outcast in your family?"

Her simple words rattled Spencer to her core. What kind of question was that? Of course she had, but CeCe would know that. CeCe was A. Why was she acting like she suddenly cared about Spencer's feelings when she was nothing more than a doll? "Of course not," she answered sarcastically. "Being stalked for two years would never make me feel like an outcast."

CeCe rolled her eyes. "This goes far beyond me, far beyond Mona," she pointed out. "Melissa was the golden child, right? She set the bar. You wanted attention from your parents? You had to outshine her. Tell me I'm wrong."

Spencer flinched. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about," she snapped. She usually wasn't so quick to react emotionally, that would be a job for Hanna, Emily, or Aria. She and Alison both assessed their situations, knowing where to hit people and how to make it hurt. They were experts at hiding what they were thinking. Unlike Alison, Spencer didn't use this shared "power" of theirs often, only when needed. But now she was dealing with someone who was better at it than the both of them combined.

Alex cackled. "Looks like you hit a nerve, Charlotte," she commented.

CeCe looked proud of herself. "Of course I did."

Spencer clenched her fists, trying to keep her cool. Getting upset would do her no good here, only give them both satisfaction. "Was there something you wanted to tell me, or not?"

The blond nodded. "Right. There's a reason that you've always felt like an outsider."

She didn't like where this was going. "And what reason would that be?" she spat. "The fact that I have a twin sister that no one ever bothered to tell me about?" Something wasn't adding up in her head. How had she not known about Alex? Her parents wouldn't give up one of their children. They Hastings' were a lot of things, but they'd never do something like that.

And where had she been all this time? Radley? She doubted that. She had been there for a while and not once had she seen her look-a-like. She would have definitely noticed that. There was also the matter of how CeCe knew her. How the hell did CeCe know her twin sister, but she herself had no clue she existed? Not only knew her, but the two looked close. That didn't make any sense.

CeCe pursed her lips. "I suppose that's part of it, yes," she admitted.

Alex groaned. "For the love of God, just tell her about Mary Drake already!" she complained.

The older woman sent her a glare. "I would, Alexandra, if you would let me speak."

The brunette crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "Fine," she relented.

CeCe sighed. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," she began. "My mom, Jessica, had a sister. A twin sister that no one knew about because she'd been in Radley for the majority of her life. Her name is Mary Drake."

Spencer wondered why she was telling her this. What did she care what deranged relatives Jessica DiLaurentis had? She didn't. That woman meant nothing to her. Less than that, even. She didn't voice this, however, knowing what A was capable of when angered. "What about her?" she implored.

CeCe seemed to be steeling herself before continuing, "As if being sent to Radley for my entire adolescence wasn't enough, it turns out that she's my biological mother," she revealed, obvious pain in her eyes. So A did have feelings after all. Interesting.

That surprised Spencer. "So, what, Mr. and Mrs. D took you in because Mary Drake was in Radley?" she asked. It wasn't uncommon for people to take in their sibling's children if that sibling was unable to, right? "What does that have to do with me?"

CeCe arched an eyebrow and began to speak, "You know how Jason was conceived, don't you?"

Spencer scowled. "During my dad's one-night stand with Mrs. D, yeah, I got that," she remarked snidely. "What does that-" She suddenly stopped, the pieces coming together. "Did... my dad sleep with Mary Drake? Are you my sister?"

The blond tilted her head, as if she were thinking. "In a way," she answered cryptically. "But not the way you're thinking of."

She was losing her patience. "Then tell me already," she hissed. "What does this - _any of this_ \- have to do with me?" She would never admit it to her captors, but she was terrified. Not only was she at A's mercy, what they were withholding from her gave her a feeling of dread in her stomach. "Give me a straight answer for once." Of course, that wasn't how A operated, but maybe she would this time.

CeCe said nothing. Alex looked between the two for a moment before speaking up, "I'll tell her if you won't." They stared at each other for a moment before the older woman shook her head. "No, I can do it. I think you make her uncomfortable."

The brunette scoffed. "You torment and stalk her and her friends for a year and somehow _I_ make her uncomfortable?"

"How about you both equally make me uncomfortable?" Spencer suggested with a raised eyebrow, making them turn their attention back to her. "Now that that's settled, can we get on with this?"

CeCe nodded. "Spencer, Veronica Hastings isn't your mother," she revealed slowly, her tone soft.

Spencer blinked. "What?" If she didn't think the woman in front of her was crazy before, she most certainly did now. There was no way that she wasn't Veronica's daughter, it just wasn't possible. "Of course I am."

Alex shook her head. "Afraid not, sis." She climbed onto the metal footboard and leaned up against the wall, legs casually crossed. "Apparently, our 'dear old dad' couldn't keep it in his pants and screwed Mary Drake, thinking she was Jessica DiLaurentis." She gestured to herself and her twin. "Hence, our birth."

Spencer shook her head. "No," she said firmly. "No, I don't believe that." They couldn't be telling the truth. People were always telling her how much she looked like Melissa, how much they both looked like _Veronica_. They had to be lying. It must have been a trick to get into her head, another one of A's manipulations.

CeCe rolled her eyes. "Use that smart head of yours, Spencer," she urged. "Your 'parents' disregard you because your illegitimate. Your sister treats you like your beneath her because in her eyes, you are." She took the girl's hand in hers. "We've both been where you are. Outsiders. Forced to reside with a family that will never accept you. We understand you, Spencer."

She ripped her hand away. "You don't know me," she snapped. Though, as much as she wanted to admit it, what her captor was saying made sense. Too much sense. She _had_ always felt like an outsider in her own home. She had always figured that was due to Melissa being the "Golden Child," but now she wasn't so sure.

This was insane. She needed to get out of here. She wanted to see her parents. She wanted to see her friends. She wanted to see _Toby_. Heck, she'd even want to see Ezra or Caleb. She needed to see _something_ that made sense.

"I know you better than you know yourself."

Spencer turned to her supposed sister, dark brown eyes ablaze with raw defiance. "If we're sisters, why are you doing this? Why do you put so much time an effort into making me - _us_ \- suffer? If your my sister, why would you want to hurt me?" Sure, Melissa had her faults, but she would never lay a finger on Spencer. The two might not have liked each other, but they would _always_ love each other.

CeCe was quiet for a moment before answering, "I didn't know you were my sister when I stole the game from Mona," she answered.

She feigned surprise. "I thought the great and powerful A knew everything," she jabbed.

The blond shrugged. "Even I have my limits."

"I guess you learn something new everyday," she spat in response.

CeCe rolled her eyes. "Anyway, when Shana died that night, I was going to stop the game," she explained. "It was the perfect time, right? After leaving the country with the passport Ali gave me, I decided to look for the missing link in my family." She gave Alex a warm smile. "My long lost little sister. And who happened to help me with that?" Her smile twisted into a smirk. "Wren."

Spencer's eyes went wide. " _Wren_?" she repeated. Could she trust no one? She hadn't even heard from the doctor in months. Even _he_ was conspiring against her?

"I think I should let Alexandra take over."

Alex grinned. "About time." She leaned in closer to her twin sister. "I met Wren while I was working at a local bar in London," she told her. "He thought I was you. It must have been fate that he came across me. Anyway, I explained my story to him and he got in contact with Charlotte. We met up when she flew in from France and immediately hit it off." She glanced at her older sister fondly. "It was like we were meant to meet."

CeCe continued after that, "When I saw Alex I immediately knew that you were my sister too. I told her about you and she was insistent on coming here to meet you. See, we've come to a decision."

"And what would that be?" Spencer spat out. She didn't like the sound of this at all.

"We're going to save you."

"Save me?" parroted the brunette incredulously. "From what? _You're_ the one holding me hostage."

Alex shook her head. "She doesn't even see it," she muttered out of pity. "My poor sister."

"See _what_?"

"You're being held back by the Hastings'," CeCe told her. "You can't trust them. They're sneaky, conniving, and will do whatever it takes to stay on top. You're much better off with your _real_ family."

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Spencer exclaimed adamantly. They must have been completely out of their minds if they thought that they were her _real_ family. Veronica Hastings was her _real_ mother, Peter Hastings was her father, and Melissa Hastings was her _only_ sister. She didn't need nor want either of these psychopaths in her life. "You're _not_ my family."

Alex rolled her eyes. "As if you have a choice."

CeCe ignored her. "I'm going to make a deal with you, Spencer." She leaned in close to the younger girl. "Come with us and find Mary Drake. Be our family and I promise to leave your friends alone." She sighed before adding, "Including the Hastings' and DiLaurentis'."

That caught Spencer's attention. If she went with these two deranged women claiming to be her sisters, her friends would get to live an A-free life. Toby and her family would be safe. How could she turn down an offer like that? She would gladly give up everything she had so that her loved ones would get the lives that they deserved.

So, looking Charlotte Drake dead in the eye, Spencer nodded. "Deal."

CeCe smiled, a toothy smile that showed nearly all of her teeth. "Welcome home, Spencer."

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 **Well, that happened. I had this half-written months ago, so don't be surprised if some things don't make sense. I normally don't edit my stories. Lazy on my part, but I usually just forget :P And I'm recovering from a high fever, so please forgive me if this is crap. Anyway, please review!**


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